Farm-gate



J A. HENRY.-

Farm Gate.

No. 228,896. Patented June 15,1880.

N PEIERS. PNOTOd-ITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FARM- GATE.

SPEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,896, dated June 15, 1880,

Application filed February 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, JACOB A. HENRY, of Peabody, in the county of Marion and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact desoriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

It is well known that over many sections of territory, especially over the portions which have large areas substantially level, the wind blows with great force, and often for long times, resulting in the destruction of property and structures of various sorts, doing especially great damage to gates and fences.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and easily-constructed support for gates, to be used on farms where gates are liable to the damages above mentioned.

It consists, first, in a novel and simple arrangement for supporting the gate, my device being intended to take the place of ordinary posts embedded in the ground.

It consists, secondly, in constructing a postframe of cast metal in such manner that the parts of the frame can be easily packedin convenient shape for transportation.

Figure l is a perspective view of the postframe embodying my improvements. Fig. 2is a perspective showing a slightly-modified construction. latching or fastening devices; and Fig. 4, is a vertical section, showing the front and bottom of the post-frame when folded together for transportation.

In the drawings, the gateis shown as having two swinging parts, A A, although this duplication of the swinging parts of the gate is not essential to my invention, it being as applicable to gates in which there is but one hinged and swinging portion. The gate A is hinged in any desired manner to a frame, (about to be described,) in lieu of the ordinary gate-posts employed for this purpose. This frameis represented in the drawings as being constructed of an inner end piece, B, bottom B, and lateral walls B B The top and outer end of the frame are preferably left open, as shown.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the O 0 represent sills attached to and arranged below the frame-work, whereby the frame is provided with additional lateral support against its being upset or overturned.

o c are braces secured, respectively, at one end to the sills O O and at the other ends to the side walls,B, of the frame-work of the gatesupport.

The post-frame may be constructed of wood, as represented in Fig. 2, if desired; but the construction which 1 preferably manufacture and employ is that shown in Fig. 1, in which construction the frame is composed of four castings so shaped relative-to each other that they can be packed in very small space for shipment or transportation. The hinged post B and the bottom B are arranged to be hinged together, as shown at b, so that the posts can be folded down upon the bottom, as shown in Fig.4.. The part B is cast with flanges or cleats b andthe bottom part with similar flanges or cleats b whereby the side pieces, B B of the frame can be secured to the other parts by small bolts orrivets at b The flanges or cleats b on the bottom B are arranged to be outside of the wall B and the flanges or cleats b on the upright part B are situated on the inside of the wall, so that the flanges B and B shall not interfere with each other when the frames are being packed or folded.

The frame, after being constructed in substantially the manner described, is filled with heavy stones, which, as is well known, are found in some localities in great abundance, and are generally conveyed to and deposited along the edges of fields. When thus filled and weighed down with stones I have found that it is ordinarily impossible for the wind to overturn or displace or otherwise damage the gate.

This construction obviates the necessity of digging the deep and expensive post-holes necessary when the ordinary posts are used to support gates.

If'desired, stakes maybe driven by the side of the frame, or in contact with the sills G O, for the purpose of assisting in preventing displacement.

If at any time it be desired to move the gate, it can be conveniently moved, as will be readily seen, after removing thestones or other weight contained in the casings B B B The gate is fastened by means of the following devices: D represents an eye or cleat provided with an aperture at or near the upper end of one of the swinging parts of the gate when two swinging parts are used, and D represents a similar eye or perforated cleat at or near the bottom of the same part. E E represent similar eyes or cleats at or near the upper edge of the other swinging part when two swinging parts are used, and E E similar devices at or near the lower edge of the same part. A passage-way is formed inside the outer upright of one of the swinging parts, as shown at F. G is a sliding rod, bent substantially as shown, so as to have a handle or loop part, g, vertical shank g, situated within the passage F, a downwardly-proj ecting catch, g at the lower end, and a downwardly-projecting catch, g formed by bending down the upper end of the rod below the loop or handle (1. f is a slot in the frame of the gate, which permits the lower part of the fastening-rod G to rise and fall to a limited extent.

When it is desired to fasten the gate the eyes or cleats D D are brought, respectively, in vertical line with the corresponding cleats E E, and the fastening-rod G is then dropped so that the part g' connects together the lower set of eyes and thepart g connects the upper set. In this wayI am enabled to secure very firmly together the two parts of the gate (or the gate and post and frame) both at the upper edge and at the lower edge, where the greatest, strain occurs. Moreover, I am enabled to accomplish this purpose by a single rod, which rises and falls but a very limited distance, it not being necessary to withdraw the rod upward the full length of the gate to open the same, nor to push it down the full length when it isdesired to close it.

WVhat I claim isl. The herein-described device for holding a gate in place, consisting of the frame-work B B B constructed and arranged to be filled and weighed down with stones, and to be readily removed, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gate-post frame, the combination of the vertical part B and the bottom part, B, hinged together, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of January, 1880.

JACOB ALPHARD HENRY.

Witnesses:

TUFFEL SUPERNAUGH, SEREL JARVIS. 

